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Shin Force ~ Xbox ~
Headhunter: Redemption
Geoffrey Duke
Previewed
08.13.2004
Publisher
Sega
Developer
Amuze
Format
1x DVD
Origin
Import / Domestic
Available
Q3-4, 2004 (USA)
Exclusive
No
Difficulty
Adjustable
Dimensions
3D
View
3rd Person
Genre
Action / Adventure
Player(s)
1
Options
Backup
Vibration
Requires
n/a
Importable
n/a
08.13.2004
     > It was never fair to describe the original Headhunter for the Dreamcast as a Metal Gear Solid clone. The game didn't revolve around stealth tactics, but contained its fair share of combat and Resident Evil-style puzzles which forced you to think on your feet. Where Headhunter balanced combat and stealth, Headhunter: Redemption is said to be comprised of 80% action and 20% stealth. Some parts of the game will require you to be stealthy to survive the perils that lie ahead, while other parts will allow you to run into a situation with your guns blazing. I hope the sequel retains the puzzles we all know and love from the original game. I want to actually play the game, not sail through it. All the gameplay elements of the original combined to make it the great game that it was, so changing the formula now would do more harm than good, IMO.

     > Like Headhunter, Headhunter: Redemption is set in the not-so-distant future. The game takes place some 20 years after the events of the first game in a time when the outbreak of the Blood Mary virus has taken its toll on the world. The killer virus wrought such havoc on the world that it has brought civilization to its knees. Players take control of a headstrong young woman by the name of Leeza who, by the looks of her, is obviously meant to inject some sex appeal into the game. Fear not though, as the headhunter Jack Wade, hardened by many years of experience, returns as a controllable character to inspire fear in the hearts of criminals (I hope Amuze uses the same brash voice actor for him as it did in the first game). To make matters more interesting (or worse), an earthquake has torn Jack Wade's city apart, separating the rich and the poor into different parts of the city.

     > I'm led to believe that Richard Jacques is composing the music again, so expect more non-stop orchestral bliss to greet your ears. Hiring an orchestra is never cheap, but it seems as if Sega has spared no expense once again.

First Impression
     > If Headhunter: Redemption contains more of the same gameplay as the original (namely a combination of action, puzzles, stealth and a healthy dose of storytelling to engross the player), then it should skyrocket to fame in no time. I just hope that the Xbox version isn't a mere port of its Playstation 2 counterpart; why should Xbox games be shackled to the graphical limitations of the Playstation 2? Either way, the game does showcase some stylish visuals which do an excellent job of portraying the dark, futuristic world in which the game is set, and if all goes as planned it should play as good as it looks. Sega's decision to turn Headhunter into a series could be one of the best decisions it has made in recent years.
Potential
Overall: 9+
~ Geoffrey Duke ~
pictures courtesy of: gamespot.com

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